Housework should be shared

Men make houses, women make homes. It sounds perfectly reasonable, doesn’t it?

Historically, a man has always been or at least should be a bread-maker in the family whereas a woman contributed mostly to the creation of the peaceful and comfortable family climate.

It’s a common knowledge that this stereotype was handed down from one generation to another deeply rooted in our sub-consciousness and reinforced by everlasting practice of traditional interaction between man and woman.

We might marvel at the progress made in every field of inter-gender relations but the ratio of housework shares remains as primitive as ever it was.

That’s why we women pay tribute to the foresight of Bernard Shaw who stated that home is the girl’s prison and woman’s workhouse.

Nowadays it can be easily proved statistically. According research data of the Office for National Statistics of The USA (note! The Motherland of Democracy) the figures of housework shares in 2012 turned to be overwhelming: on average, women carry 75% of the burden shopping, cooking, laundry and dishwashing. Men contribute most to yard work and home maintenance. Have you noticed the difference? Men’s tasks can be delayed, while women’s are constant.

A survey carried out in Great Britain by the newspaper “The Guardian” revealed the fact that working mothers spend more hours a week on house than on their full-time job. On average, women aged 18-65 spend about 30 hours per week in paid employment and 22 hours per week doing housework. The figure of the housework quota increases sharply to 84 hours per week if a child appears in the household.

Would you be surprised if I proved statistically that a man’s quota remains unaffected by the child’s birth and is measured by 10 hours per week? What are the reasons of this injustice?

Firstly, the persistence of the ideology which declares certain tasks as appropriate for a person of a particular sex. The consequence is the low status associated with family work.

Secondly, still-discriminatory regime in the workplace which deals men higher wages and better opportunities for promotion than women have, and makes the diversion of their energies and time to household tasks more costly. Consequently, 64% of 564 man asked confessed that they would better pay someone else to do their share.

Thirdly, the wives’ inability to enforce or motivate changes in their husbands’ duties.

Personally, I am absolutely convinced that it is the lack of conditioning and motivation that creates our home monster ready to accept eagerly your slaving on his shirt collars, your breaking down in ecstasy over dirty dishes and polishing floors while cooking in order to get him pleased.

Break down stereotypes!

Housework should be shared equally by both partners.

Make your home creating an atmosphere of mutual understanding and support and undoubtedly your home will turn into a home, suite home.

Ex.1.2. Discussion. Pair work Make up a dialogue using the statements below as arguments or counterarguments. Provide it with formulas of agreement.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-29